


The Monster He Was Born To Be

by IfAnyOneKnew



Category: Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars, The Force Awakens - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Dragons, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-22 22:34:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8303692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IfAnyOneKnew/pseuds/IfAnyOneKnew
Summary: A brutal knight with a reputation soaked in blood, was cursed to live out his days as a Dragon, a monster to reflect the monster inside his soul. A war refugee, alone in the world since she was a child, stumbles across the damned, cursed monster and vows to set him free. Kylo Ren x Rey Dragon AU





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by this original piece of artwork i found on tumblr: http://frozenmusings.tumblr.com/post/149158068336/a-girl-and-her-dragon-gif-youre-the-man-from
> 
> Even though the fic isn't the same as the caption on her post, the art itself spurred me to write this fan fiction, it was a lot of fun to write, i don't normally do AU's so this was a treat. 
> 
> If you read this fic do check out the original art, it gave me heart eyes for days.

Prologue: 

_Once upon a time, there was a world that only knew war. The ancient land of Arcadia battled with their neighboring lands for decades. They fought over borders, over territories and crops, for if one thing was true, that never changed, it was the greed of men._

_Fifteen years before our story begins, a terrible creature took up residence in the mountains that over saw a village. Farm animals died, people went missing, and the village was burnt to the ground time and time again. The creature who now was lord and master of this piece of land, was a dragon. One of the last of his kind, the dragon was a dangerous master to cross, and whole armies tried to stop the beast, tried to kill him, only to fail._

_One brave man, by the name of Skywalker, managed to chain the beast, and trap him in his cave. Every few months someone will venture to the mountain top and throw the corpse of some poor farm animal into the cave to sate the dragon’s hunger, But over the years, the people forgot the dragon, now the village is considered unclaimed, a no-man’s land where refugees flock too, to escape the war that has destroyed their homes._

~~

The horse drawn wagon came to a stop, the rocking bumpy trip, at last was at its end. Sore and exhausted from the journey, the people in the wagon all but fell to the ground, thankful to feel steady land beneath their feet. The last to emerge was a small, thin slip of a girl, her hair tied in three buns. Her bag tied tight across her back she jumped to the ground, bringing her staff with her. 

Rey took in the village before her, smiling a bit to herself, this would be her new home, and it seemed like it could be the best one she had lived yet. The village was alive with people, the sounds of horses and carts, sellers hocking their wares, school masters ringing cow bells to call class to session. This was a real village, a proper village, and perhaps the closest to a city Rey had ever seen. 

Following the other refugees who had just arrived, she waited patiently to be assigned a tent in the large field that was too rocky to farm but apparently good enough to live on. Taking her assignment she headed down the rows of tents for those who didn’t have houses just yet. Single folks, or young couples lived in the tents, there just wasn’t room enough for whole families to have a house. Though many complained, Rey bounced from foot to foot with excitement, the prospect of having a cot to sleep on was too exciting, after living so long on dirty grounds or in root cellars, this was a place she could call her own. 

Three rows into the fifth sector she found her tent, it was on a low wooden platform and a bit bigger than she expected. Ducking into the tent she marveled at the space, she had a low cot with two heavy blankets and even a pillow, and a trunk with a heavy lock for her things. By the opening was a pail for water. This was more than she had ever had for herself in her entire life, She had once thought the root cellar was paradise but this was even better. Flopping down on her new bed she shimmied under the blankets and pulled out her journal. Flipping through the pages she found the most recent day and placed one tally mark. Sighing with pleasure she put the journal down and stared at the ceiling of her tent, a small smile on her face. 

~~

The next morning, I woke with a start, realizing she had fallen asleep and slept through dinner she felt her stomach throb with hunger. She listened for the source of what woke her and the sounds of someone banging on a pot reached her ears. “Breakfast!” voices called and she lept from the cot. Grabbing messenger bag she used when hunting or collecting things, she slung it over her body and shouldered her staff. 

She locked her other things away in the truck and burst out of the tent into the sun. Flinching at the bright rays, she took off in a run, catching up to others her age, running and laughing towards the center of the tents where meals were served. Skidding to a halt she seized a tin bowl and waited on line for her serving of porridge and a glass of milk. As she found a place to sit on the ground she could hear others complaining about the porridge, taking a bite of the hot meal, Rey’s eyes rolled with delight, it wasn’t much but it was hot and it was food. She ate with gusto and savored the fresh milk before returning her dishes to the cook. She thanked them for the meal, feeling delightfully full for the first time in ages. The cooks looked her over “You must not eat much do ya girl?” one of the men asked, and she smiled a bit “No i don't, but that doesn’t mean the food you make isn’t good. I’m just not greedy, and i appreciate any meal i get.” The cooks, two men and one woman all exchanged looks, the man who had spoken reached out and ruffled her hair. “You're alright kid, welcome to no man's village”. Rey beamed before turning and following the other new refugees to retrieve work assignments. 

Waiting patiently she watched as other refugees had their names called and received their assignments, when the last name was called and it wasn’t hers she pushed past others to reach the man who had the list. “Sir? Sir? My name wasn’t called, i’m Rey Ken-” She was cut off as the man assigning work looked down at her and scoffed, “Work aint for girls, we only give work to the men folk, run along and go sew or something.” Rey’s jaw dropped and she had to restrain the urge to knock this idiots teeth out. 

Dejected she turned to make her way back to her tent, when she heard someone call her name. Lifting her head she saw the three cooks, all holding pans and dishes paused a few feet from her. With a jerk of his head, the lead cook indicated to follow and so she grabbed a load of dishes herself and followed them to the cook house. When the door shut behind them, Rey looked up at the cooks her eyes questioning, “Your on ya own are ya?” said the lead cook, Rey nodded her lips pressed into a thin line. “Alright, we need some help ya see, we get meat from the farmers and the produce from the fields, but we like to have other things sometime, rabbit, deer, hell some mushrooms if you can find ‘em. Ya hunt girl?”  
Rey nodded vigorously, “Yes i do” The cooks exchanged nods, and the lead went on, “Our last runner decided he was too good for this work and left us high and dry, we can't pay you much but we can guarantee three square meals a day and a small wage if you want the job.” 

Almost floating with excitement rey nodded, “yes yes! I do, i promise to do it well”. Lead cook smiled and held out his hand, “The name is Jeb, this fine lady is my wife, Sophie and her good for nothin brother, Bran. You can come to any of us with your kills or what not, we accept something at least three times a week.” Rey shook hands with each of them, her smile broad and wide, “I’m Rey Kenobi, thank you so much for this opportunity. I won't let you down.” 

Sophie smiled at Rey with approval and wrapped a piece of bread and some cheese in a kerchief and handed it to her. “If you get hungry while hunting, Jeb love, why don't you give her the bow the last runner left when he took off with the smugglers?” Jeb nodded “Ya know how to shoot a bow girl?” he asked and Rey nodded, “Yes i do, my last bow broke and i hadn't been able to replace it.” 

Jeb pulled a beautiful wood bow from the closet and a full quiver of arrows. He also handed her a long knife which in her hands seemed like a short sword. Gratefully she accepted these gifts and put them in their places. 

As the days melted into weeks, Rey fell in love with her new life. She made a few friends at meal times and continued to hunt and gather extra treats for the cooks to make. Every week they gave her a small wage, but the real value was in the food she was given every day. Jeb and Sophie had grown to her and made sure she never went into the woods without water and something for lunch. If she was late to a meal sophie would become cross and wage her spoon at Rey, telling her she had to eat. She had a warm dry place to sleep and life was finally feeling a bit easy. 

After hunting all week, Jeb declared that Rey should take a few days break since they didn't have anywhere to store the kills she was bringing in now, having found she was especially good at tracking down critters for the tent folk to eat. Agreeing to take the day off, Rey declared she would go exploring, she accepted an apple and a piece of bread for her midday meal and headed off to the woods. 

Having lived in the no man’s village for two months now, she had hardly taken the time to relax and explore the land surrounding her new home. Her job did not take her far, and no matter how many animals she brought down, the next day she still found game. Staff in hand, she smiled into the sunlight and hiked up the mountainside, collecting odd things she saw, a dagger here, a broken necklace there. 

At midday she found a tree to lounge in to enjoy her food, leaning against the trunk she dangled a leg off the tree branch, eating lazily. Pulling out a book she had borrowed from the school house from her bag, she settled to read a bit. She had only meant to indulge in one chapter but she soon found herself engrossed in the book and six chapters later, she was knocked from her stupor when a fat raindrop landed on the page. Looking up at the sky Rey cursed under her breath, realizing the afternoon had gone by and now the sky was dark and angry, lightning split the air followed by a crack of thunder. And then came the downpour. 

With a cry she lept from the tree and ran up the hill searching for cover of any-kind and spied a cave up ahead. It looked dark and foreboding and surely had a bear or some crazy person inside waiting to eat foolish girls. But as her clothing stuck to her skin, and she rushed forward, she drew her knife and decided to risk her luck in the cave. Better than getting sick after all. 

Diving into the cave, she skidded across the ground, scrambling to her feet she dusted herself off and looked around, finding utter darkness past the cave mouth. Grumbling she found some meager sticks and twigs and knelt with her flint in hand to start a fire. When the small fire finally started she held her hands to the glow and urged it to rise, using her strange gifts to push energy into the flames, and soon she had a proper fire. Taking off her bag and weapons she lifted her eyes and realized the warm glow of her fire didn’t entirely fill the cave, curious she made a makeshift torch out of a thick piece of wood and a spare kerchief. Holding her knife ready she ventured deeper into the cavern. 

Walking down the large cave, her torch light fell on different things littering the floors. Deep scratched marks on the floor, animal bones and every now and then something that may have once been valuable. She cast her torch wider, and grumbled under her breathe, she could barely see anything. Taking a deep breathe she decided to try a trick she had once done ages ago, and hadn't since. Cupping a hand around the fire, she visualized it was a ball-and then she simply plucked the flame from the torch and held it in the palm of her hand. With holding a whoop of delight she carefully split the ball of flame into two and then three and sent two of the balls into the air to float ahead of her and light her way. 

Much preferring this use of her talents she ventured even deeper, turning a corner, her fires caught something black and glittery in the distance. Brow furrowed with curiosity she inched forward, willing the fireballs to move ahead and light the way. Tossing the third one into the air the trio lit the glittering object-and Rey’s heart stopped. 

Laying before her, shackled to the cave it called home was a impossibly large ebony dragon, he laid with wings tucked on either side of his body and his head resting on her...paws? Hands? She didn’t know what to call it. 

Fear coursed through her veins as she threw herself back and tripped over a stack of bones. She fell to the ground with a cry, a broken rib bone slicing across her arm. Suddenly, the dragon’s eyes snapped open, and instantly landed on her. The beasts gold eyes took in her small form as it slowly, lazily got to his feet and with steady steps moved so it stood it over her.  
“He-hello” she stammered, trying to find her courage, “I-i'm sorry for disturbing you-there's a storm and-well i didn’t know this was a home” 

The dragon growled deep in its throat, the sound echoing off the cave walls, he bowed his head and sniffed at her, it took all her willpower not to flinch away. Catching the scent of blood, his long tongue snaked out of his mouth and tasted her wound. Rey shivered her eyes widening a bit more, though this close she found herself focusing more on the dragon’s beauty than her fear of being eaten. The dragon growled again, pulling back his head to look down at her, “It has been some time since a human came into my cave.” 

With a yelp she realized the voice she heard was in her head, it was a deep baritone that made her entire body tingle. “Have you come to kill me little one? That won't end well for you.” 

“Kill you?” she gaped at him “N-no never! I didn’t even know you were here-wait hang on you can talk!?” The dragon took a step back, allowing her to stick up, he relaxed onto his haunches his dark laugh filling her head. “Yes. I can talk, for i was once a man. A human like you.” Rey cradled her injured arm and cocked her head to the side. “You were human? But then how did you end up a dragon?” 

The dragon surveyed her once more, “You truly do not know who i am?”. Rey shook her head in earnest, “No sir” she said, “I’m a war refugee, i just got to this land two months ago. No one told me about a dragon. No one talks about the history of this village.” 

The dragon made a snorting sound much like a scoff and relaxed, “Then this is a unique situation.” He mused, “No kidding” Rey replied “Will you tell me how you got here?” With another snort the dragon replied “I should kill you and eat you, you are the first meat I have seen in months.” 

Rey paled and she thanked the low fire of her fire balls for concealing her fear. “Well um...sir...i’m the village runner, i hunt for the cooks and i’m bloody damn good at it too. When the storm lets up i could go catch something for you.” The beast's eyes narrowed at her, “And how do i know you will not run home and remind the villagers of my existence.” 

“Well ya don't now do you? But the way i see it is that you're all chained up, you need food. I’m offering to help ya with that. Besides if i did remind them of you, you could always eat the soldiers who try to come here. If the weapons lying around tells me anything, then others have tried to hurt you and you made meals of them.” 

The dragon looked at her appraisingly and slowly nodded, lowering his head to his paws. “Very well little one. You make a valid point. “ Rey grinned and hugged her knees to her chest “my name’s Rey by the way.” 

“My name, is where the story begins, my name. Is Kylo Ren, and before I was made a dragon, I was a man. A very bad man. While you were still a babe in arms, I was the son of a noblewoman and her worthless pirate husband. As conflict struck the land my mother was more and more absent and one day my father left for a job and never again came home. For a time we thought him dead, and mourned him, until a man who worked for my mother came to inform us that my father was very much alive and had abandoned us for a life of debauchery and loose women. My mother and i had never been close, but this revelation made her push me away, I reminded her too much of him i suppose. I Had special abilities, a gift some said, i could make fire-much like you did yourself. I could sense other living things and throw things with my mind. My uncle-my mother’s twin. Was the same, he took me away to learn under him amongst his other students. I thought this was my chance at redemption, that if i succeeded as his student, my mother would love me again. I was naive, over time my Uncle grew to push me away as well, favoring younger far more talented students over his frustrating, nephew who questioned everything. Who never followed blindly. I ran away and whilst i ran, i met a man named Snoke, Lord snoke trained me in my abilities, he gave me the favor that a family member should. He housed me, clothed me, even gave me family in the form of my fellow warriors, and when it was time, he named me Knight, the First knight of the order of Ren.” 

“Filled with years of anger and rage, I was all too happy to carry out my orders as master of the knights of ren. We burned villages, conquered cities in mere days, we brokered peace between the two countries. We did great and terrible things, and I was the worst of them all. As my power grew, my Master became wary of me, one day we argued and in a fit of rage i accidentally shattered the throne of which he sat upon. In return-he cursed me. He made me into this beast that sits before you now, and through his dark magic he made me do even worse things than i had ever done as a man. Over time i broke free from his mind control and fled, I was chased by entire armies, to this very cave. I burnt the village that stood here to the ground as i fought for my own life, i didn’t care who i harmed, who was good or bad, i only wanted to live. Finally my Uncle found me, he could sense who was inside of this scaled form. He led me to this cave and said he would help me. Instead...he locked this chains around my limbs and left me to die. Others came and went, they either tried to kill me and failed or I killed them. For a time i was given food but soon after, i was forgotten, only having a foolish squirrel or wandering bear or deer to look forward to for meals. And since then I have laid here, in my prison. Waiting to die.” 

As he told his story, Rey felt tears in her eyes, she could feel the sadness in his voice, could feel how lonely he was and it spoke to her own lonely soul. Most of all she knew of hunger. She got to her feet her shoulders hunched “I need to think” was all she said, she gathered her weapons and left, leaving her fires inside the cave. 

As night fell in earnest she returned to the cave, dragging a dead deer behind her. The kill was clean and she dragged the corpse using a rope she had secured to the animal. She entered the cave and reaching out with her gifts she re-lit her fires and called out, “Kylo?” She heard a rumble and shuffling, then the sound of his chains clinking and scraping along the cave floor. 

“Rey…” his voice was soft in her head, “You..returned” Rey smiled at his shock and said “And i brought dinner” He shuffled as close to the cave mouth as his chains would allow and his gold eyes widened. “For me?” he gasped and Rey nodded with a small laugh, she dragged the deer right up to him, placing it between his forepaws. She stepped back and slid to the floor by the fire, leaning her back against the cool stones. Unable to restrain himself, Kylo tore into the meat, eating quickly as if he feared it was a dream. All too soon the food was gone, but he was satiated for now. His long tongue cleaned the blood from his snout and he leaned over her, nuzzled her with his nose. “Thank you..” he said as he drew back “I thought you would never return.” 

“I just had to have time to think, the storm passed so i will return to the village at morning. But i have made a decision Kylo” she took a deep breathe before continuing, “I am going to help you. I know you think yourself a monster. I can feel it in your words, but you have suffered and paid for your crimes. I am going to figure out a way to break those chains so you can be free.” 

Kylo drew back in alarm, his eyes searching Rey’s “A--are you sure little one? You do not lie?”  
“No of course not, i have known slavery, i would never lie about freedom.” she said her tone darkening with her words. She walked over to him, and sunk to her knees by one of his legs, her gentle hands probed the shackle around his paw and felt the scarred, tender flesh there. She frowned as she ran her hands along the shackle until she found the key hole. “A-hah! I can pick almost any lock, they haven't invented a cage to hold me” she said smugly “though the mechanism is strange, i’ll start researching into its make and i’ll teach myself to open it. Meanwhile, i’ll come up here every other day to bring you food so you can get your strength up and to keep you company..if that's okay.” 

He lowered his head, pushing her against his hot chest in a semblance of a hug, reaching up she slung her arms part way around his neck and nuzzled against his smooth scales. “Thank you Rey...thank you…” 

~~

Rey’s time at No man’s village wore on, she hunted three days a week and on her free days she brought Kylo as much food as she could. When her work ended each day she went to the blacksmiths to learn more about locks and keys and how they work. She borrowed books about the topic and devoured them, she found books about her powers and devoured those as well. When she wasn't killing his next meal or rubbing salve into his wounds, Kylo was teaching Rey about her abilities, finding her company as a balm to his broken soul. Months passed in the blink of an eye and snow began to fall. Rey had to lessen her trips to the cave to twice a week, and soon to one. 

Her absence slowly brought Kylo into a sort of depression, though they never lost contact, they had formed a bond, they could speak in each other’s minds even when she was in the village and he in his cave. Rey was thrilled at being able to speak to him, and she bothered him constantly, he acted annoyed sometimes but under his complaints he loved how much she spoke to him. 

During a heavy snowstorm, Rey was sitting with a blanket around her shoulders in the meeting house with the other tent folk, the weather was too severe to stay in the tents and so they all crammed into the long hall, to ride it out. Rey had a book open on her lap, and a cup of hot tea in her hands. She was reading about a spell...well a ritual perhaps to try to break Kylo’s curse. When she read these things she always kept her thoughts guarded, she didn’t want to give her new friend hope when she wasn’t sure if she could fix his problem. 

While she read, a boy from the blacksmiths came up to her “Rey?” she looked up and smiled at the face of her friend “Finn! What brings you to me?” Finn’s cheeks coloured as he sat down, he held out a small shackle “Remember that lock mechanism you sketched out and you asked me about? I found this in my master’s junk box, it's a box where he throws the scraps to re-use later. It matches the lock you were so curious about.” 

Rey snatched the shackle from his hands in excitement, running her fingers along the cool steel her mind raced. Finn muttered excuses and while she was absorbed in this new find, he slipped away. Digging her lock pick kit from her bag, Rey endured the rest of the storm working on breaking the lock. 

Two days later as the sun broke through the snow clouds, in the early morning as everyone woke from their sleep. Rey bit down a scream of delight, “Kylo!” she called into their bond, “I did it! I know how to free you!” 

No sooner had she sent that message, did the sounds of screams, fill the air. 

~~  
As the people packed into the meeting house scrambled to there feet, grabbing weapons and belongings and burst from the building, the sound of gunfire filled the air. Soldiers marched into the village, firing their muskets at will, shooting without prejudice. The snow was up to there knees but the men on foot marched dutifully, and the higher ranks moved along on horseback, this was the well tuned war machine of their enemies. 

Buildings were set to the torch, children screamed and cried, mothers wept as they worked to console their offspring. Rey panicked, her fear making the bond between her and Kylo difficult to touch. Turning on the spot she saw the back of the hall and remembered the window. Running to the back she unsheathed her blade and using the hilt and her fist she threw her hand through the window, glass shattered and sliced into her hand, but she felt no pain. She used the knife to make a big enough opening and began calling to the mothers and children around her. Wrapping her bleeding hand in a scarf she helped get as many people out as she could, catching the children as they were dropped out the window. 

Rey’s heart pounded and she thanked whatever god out there that the window on the back of the building faced the forests, a pair of men hitched up horses to a sledge and ushered the women and children into the sledge, as the last of them was helped on they called to Rey. “I can’t” she said, one of the woman argued but as a tree splintered by her rey screamed “GO” the men driving the sledge whipped the horses into a full gallop as Rey ran up the hill, gun fire followed her as she worked to disappear herself into the trees. She scrambled through the snow, her clothing drenched and blood leaking down her arm. 

Close to the cave she fell and screamed as a solider caught up to her, he pinned her down as she sunk into the snow, his face leering at her. She struggled calling to her power but found that in her exhausted state it would not answer. The soldier made ugly remarks, about what he would do to a girl like her, when suddenly fire exploded from the cave. The soldier screamed and turned to run, he tripped and plummeted into a sinkhole. Rey did not have to look, to know his neck had broken. 

Pulling herself to her feet she struggled up the rest of the way “Kylo” she called out as she stumbled into the cave, she was wet and shivering, her hand bleeding through the scarf. The dragon struggled to get closer to her, “Rey rey” he called, she slid to her knees and slowly crawled to him. Once she was close enough he reached out a wing and brushed her to his side, his hot body warming her. He laid his wing across her like a blanket, and nuzzled her hair. “Rey” he crooned “Kylo…” she murmured before exhaustion took her. 

Hours later she woke in the dark, she felt very very warm, and her hand did not hurt as much as it did before. She called out to kylo, and suddenly light burned her eyes as he lifted his wing and she realized why she had woken in darkness. “Are you okay little one?” he asked his amber eyes examining her. She nodded with a small smile “im much better. No one came for me?” 

“Of course not, and if they did i would have roasted them.” he said crossly. Rey allowed herself a laugh before looking down at her hand, she unwrapped the scarf and gasped, the cuts were now scars, mottled and red but scars. “H..how?” she said as Kylo dipped his head to nuzzle her. “I healed you. I cannot do it often, i cannot do it well, but i did my best.” Rey nuzzled him in return and thanked him. 

Standing and stretching she reached into her bag for an apple she had saved there, when her hand brushed the shackle finn had given her. Excitement returned to her as she threw her bag down and cast fire balls into the air to light the cave “I forgot oh my gods Kylo” she pulled her lock picking kit from her bag and ordered him to present a paw to her. Obeying with narrowed eyes he laid a heavy paw in her lap as she sat cross legged on the floor. He watched as she placed the thin implements into the shackle’s lock mechanism and began to work. After a few tries a click broke the silence, and rey using the blade of her knife fit pried the shackle open and dropped it to the floor. 

Kylo stared in shock as Rey pulled the salve she brought with her from her bag and worked it into the injuries around his paw. “I..you did it…” he gaped at her, this girl, this marvellous, wonderful girl. “Don’t thank me yet” she said scratching his chin “Thank me when all of them are off.” As night fell and the sounds of fighting and death down the mountain receded, Rey focused on her task. One by one she freed her Dragon from the shackles and rubbed salve into his wounds. When the last cursed shackle fell, Kylo crushed her to his side in his version of a hug. “Rey i cannot even begin to thank you.” she smiled and pressed her face into his warm scales. Pulling away she sat on the cave floor and finally ate her apple, pulling her knees to her chest she said “so...what now?” 

Kylo stretched and walked to the mouth of the cave, he stuck his out of the cave his large eyes taking in everything they could. Then without warning he leapt into the sky, and shot above the trees. Rey scrambled to her feet and ran to the cave opening, she watched as he flew above the mountain and she whooped with joy at seeing him freed at long last. Though part of her broke at the sight as she began to imagine her life without the dragon, and she found her future to seem very lonely. 

After watching Kylo fly for a bit, she slunk back into the cave and slid to the floor. The village was no longer safe, Kylo was free...and now Rey was going to be alone again. She dropped her head into her hands when the beat of wings broke her thoughts. With a loud ‘thump’ Kylo landed at the cave mouth, he dropped a deer from his mouth, carefully tearing a section with his claws he used his fire breath to roast a piece and nudged it over to Rey, before tearing into his kill. 

Rey ate the meat as she watched him, unwilling to speak her fears, as he finished his food he turned his large eyes on her. “Little one, you do know that through our bond, i can hear your thoughts?” Rey’s cheeks turned red with shame and she stared at her new scars on her hand. “I...i understand i-” 

“Rey” he nudged her with his snout and she looked up at the amber eyes so close to her own, “I’m taking you with me” Rey’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened “r..really?” she stammered, “it will be dangerous, but I won't leave you alone Rey. Not until you tell me too.” Tears threatened to fall from her eyes and she stood slowly and hugged him. “I’ll never ask you to go” she said. 

They slept one last time in the cave, Kylo curled around Rey’s tiny form to protect her from enemies and the cold. When the sun rose he caught another deer and they ate their breakfast. Rey secured her bag and weapons to her body. As they readied to leave Kylo knelt low to the floor and stretched a wing, giving Rey something to climb onto, she made her way to his back and found a perfect spot by his neck to sit. She held tight to his horns and confirmed to him that she was ready. 

Kylo sauntered out of the cave and looking to the sky, he reared back on his haunches then lept, in a single bound he cleared the trees, and with a mighty flap his wings climbed them higher, and higher. Once above the trees he leveled out and Rey opened her eyes, the wonder she felt from knowing she was flying, almost overshadowed the horror of the devastation that was No-Man’s village. Red stained the snow and most of the buildings were either stolen or burnt to the ground. 

Kylo angled himself east, away from the village and Rey tore her eyes from the horror, and looked out into the sky as they flew, choosing to look into the future with her friend. 

They flew all day and well into the night, As the moon rose full and high above them, Kylo finally found a field hidden by trees to land in. Rey slid to the ground, stretching her legs and popping her joints. Kylo walked to the lake by most of the field and dipped his muzzle into the water to drink. 

Exhausted but both happy, Rey laid close to Kylo’s chest staring at the stars. She told him about her life before being a refugee, what little she could remember, about how she once lived with a sailor who taught her the stars, and once a medicine woman who taught her how to create simple remedies. Kylo listened, his head lying lightly on her stomach, his eyes never leaving her face. When Rey fell asleep he tucked her under his wing and joined her. 

When morning came he carefully extricated himself from her side and took off into the forest to look for game. He spotted a deer and plucked it from the ground, the creature dying in his jaws before he laid it down and made a portion for Rey. She woke with a smile and enjoyed the meal with him, after eating she washed up and they both drank their fill. Rey was smoothing salve onto his wounds when a gunshot ripped the air. 

Rey cried out as the bullet landed firmly in her bicep, her blood flowing fast and hot down her arm. Kylo roared in rage, rearing on his hind legs he took in a hunting parting, that had their weapons trained on him. Rey got to her feet slowly using her staff for support, “Don’t shoot!” she cried out, the pain making her voice weak. 

“Rey get behind me” Kylo demanded down there bond but she shook her head and slowly walked towards the men. “Get over here girl!” one of the hunters shouted, his weapon aiming at the Dragon behind her. “We don't wanna hurt ye, just wanna fell that monster” 

“No!” Rey shouted, “leave him alone he did nothing wrong” she paused in her steps, her gazed locked on the men. “He stole our game for starters, and i wager he burned that village back by the mountains, i heard of this beast, he’s that Kylo Ren, he doesn’t deserve to live.” the man replied his voice thick with hatred. 

“No he didn’t do that! He took the deer so we could eat, he didn’t hurt anyone!” she pleaded, the pain in her wound making her slide to her knees. “Kill her boss, so the monster won't do it” one of the hunters said and the one in front nodded his agreement, leveling his musket at Rey he pulled the trigger. Rey looked up as the bullet came speeding towards her, she closed her eyes accepting her death, when the sound of a earth quake instead filled her ears and a roar of pain. 

Opening her eyes she saw darkness and realized what had happened, she crawled out from under Kylo’s wing and sobbed in horror. Kylo had taken the bullet, and in the shock of him coming so close, the hunters had kept firing, bullets and arrows stuck out of his muscular black body and dark blood painted the cold ground. Rey screamed in horror, and yelled at the hunters to go, to leave them alone. She fell to her knees sobbing by Kylo’s head as his breathing became labored. “R...rey” he said down the bond, his deep voice so weak and fragile in her head. “I...i’m dying…” he gasped and fell to his side, pain filling his entire body. 

The sounds of retreating bodies met her ears and she barely acknowledged the hunters as they fled the area. She cried and reached for Kylo, who slowly raised his head so she could stumble and embrace his scaled muzzle, she pressed trembling kisses to his face, sobs wracking her body. “Don’t leave me Kylo” she said “Don’t leave me.” 

She slid to the ground letting him rest his head in her lap, “Rey...i’m sorry...i’m..” he shuddered and blood poured from the wounds. Softly in a faint strangled whisper her said in her mind, “I love you”. His body fell still, his sides no longer heaved with labored breath, and Rey felt his presence down the bond they shared, disappear.

Rey screamed, her agony tore through her like a knife cleaving her in two. Energy burst from her bathing them both in light, her scream went on and on, as her heart fell to pieces in her chest. Finally she collapsed sobbing “kylo no..! don’t..! come back...please come back! I love you! Kylo, I love you!” 

She sobbed stroking his scales as he grew cold to the touch, “You’ve done terrible things” she hiccuped, “You’ve killed, you’ve ruined lives, but you’ve suffered. You paid for your crimes, you are a monster, but i don’t care. I love you. I love you.” 

Dark energy slowly surrounded his body, and Rey screamed, trying to push it off him with her hands. With a pulse the energy pushed her aside, and her light died down, she watched as it pulsed around his body then like water on sand, it soaked into his skin. A moment passed, first one, then two. Suddenly his side’s swelled with breath, the arrows and bullets fell to the ground in a clatter. Kylo raised his head, and opened his amber eyes. 

“Rey” his voice was a whisper down the bond and she sobbed in relief, scrambling to her feet she placed her hands on either side of his jaw and pressed her forehead to his. “Kylo...kylo..” she murmured. Her touch made him shudder, and slowly his body glowed silver, his scales shining in the iridescent light. 

“Kylo?” she said in a confused tone as his eyes fell shut and the glow covered his large body. Rey pulled back her hands in confusion calling his name over and over, as quickly as the silver glow had come, it was gone. Kylo’s large scaled body was gone, and in his place stood a tall, muscular man, covered in scars his chest bare. Ebony hair falling into his eyes, and somewhere in Rey’s mind, she thought he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. 

“Rey” his voice was hoarse, but it was deep and it echoed in her mind, “K..Kylo?” he nodded slowly, a smile spreading across his full lips. Rey flung her arms around his neck and immediately he wrapped her in his arms holding her tightly, he pressed his nose into her neck and inhaled her familiar scent. “Your free” she said in disbelief, “but how?” He chuckled and she felt it rumble through her, “I took the bullet meant for you, a truly selfless act, was powerful enough to break the curse.” 

Rey pulled back and looked up into his eyes, the amber still rich and familiar, he gazed down at her, and then before she could blink, he pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes fell shut and she dissolved into the kiss, her fingers weaving through his soft hair, as he pressed her to his body. She deepened the kiss, as so many emotions flowed between them. 

But most of all, she felt his love, burning like a fire, the fire that had burned away the curse that had trapped him in the body of a dragon for so long. And though they spoke no words, only basked in the taste of each other’s lips, they both knew, they were going to be okay, so long as they were together. 

 

The End.


End file.
